The Menu

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Bon appetit! It’s something of relief to report that Mark Mylod’s culinary-noir thriller The Menu is exactly the blast of populist, adult orientated entertainment that the big screen has been sorely lacking of late. It’s a multiple character riff on The Most Dangerous Game that certainly gets nasty, but doesn’t revel in the cartoonish violence of Ready or Not. That Knives Out play-as-any-character vibe seems to be a sure-fire winner in our ongoing culture-wars, but The Menu ‘relaxes the protein strands’ and hits the spot where The Hunt didn’t; setting up an unknown world ripe with tension, and exploring it through the eyes of a great protagonist, Margot Mills, played by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Joy’s movie roles haven’t quite been up to the grand-master level of The Queen’s Gambit, but she’s in her high-cheekboned, backless dress element as the unexpectedly feisty substitute date of foppish foodie fanboy Tyler (well played by Nicholas Hoult). Tyler’s off to an exclusive private island to sample a $12,000 a head private dinner along with a small, select audience of gastronomic tourists invited by reclusive chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) to experience ‘art on the edge of the abyss’. Poor Margot is dropped into this narrative as an interloper, uninvited, but we get clues from an admirably terse cigarette-smoking opening that Margot is not what she appears to be…

Those along for the ride, or the slide into gastronomic excess that harms and destroys the lives of the diners and staff alike, include John Leguizamo as a fading actor, Janet McTeer as Slowik’s champion critic, and a few mysterious business interests; once it’s clear that they are captives, The Menu has plenty of opportunities for the rough and tumble we expect from a cinematic hostage situation. But Slowik’s plan is darker than just murder or revenge, think Se7en dark, or the indulgent murder-suicide pact of La Grande Bouffe. There are digested elements of the structured, ritualistic approach to closed-court bodily functions in Salo, The Cook, The Thief, The Wife and Her Lover, or even Fiennes’ early role in The Baby of Macon; the guests may be starved, but this is a feast of cineastes who can get behind a macabre concept that never gets silly or glib.

Everything’s a matter of taste, but Seth Reiss and Will Tracy’s script never settles for the conventional punch-ups and sharp, judiciously aimed Sabatiers, and justifies a few theatrical fake-outs and potential plot holes with a literate, on-point finale in which the resourceful Margot attempts to reason and talk her way to safety, laying bare the film’s justifably angry critique of the villain’s psychology. It’s a stone-cold classic final scene, a rigorous topper that has the groundwork laid via strong character development and uniformly committed performances; The Menu isn’t the horror flick that was teased, lacking cannibals under the floorboards or bone-crunching kitchen killers, although the big shock moments are genuinely jolting and graphic; it’s a well-worked slice of Grand Guiginol which should leave audiences keen for further helpings from all concerned. The Menu is just as good as everyone’s saying; the squeamish should stay at home, but for those intrepid gourmets seeking a grown-up cinematic adventure, it’s one big chef’s kiss all round!

adam mckayanya taylor-joychefcookingfilmguiltinnocentmark mylodmoviemurdernicholas houltprivate islandRalph Fiennesreviewseth reissthe menuthrillerwill ferrellwill ferritwill tracy

Terrific film. A hard one to sell since effectivley it is in a class of its own and ducks out of following any particular horror or for that matter comedy trop. Fiennes is superb and Taylor-Joy back to what she does best.

As it turns out, I am planning on seeing this tomorrow so once I saw your positive opening paragraph, I admittedly checked out and will revisit the rest after my view. Ready or Not and The Hunt were two films that came to mind when I first saw the trailer weeks ago, and was happy to see the way you referenced them in your opening here. Looking forward to it even more now!

a feast of cineastes. So they’re people eaters, specifically movie critics?

They are not people eaters or cannibals. No-one is eaten in this film. I get how you might get there from the trailers and posters, but Nope, this is not about chomping critics.

Well it was you that wrote it, but fine, no people eaten in the making of the movie. Actually I’m up for this one if it streams, so curry me yep!

A full 180, executed with style! I’ll notify the media.

No idea what you’re on about. Buut that’s par for the 1st course.

Not knowing what I’m on about is often the main meal as well.

We’ll always have dessert.

Claps hands! A serving of ‘not knowing what I’m talking about’ soufflé for the young lady at table nine.

This is a good film. Not just to watch, but to think about. An attack on the poison of grievance. The posters make it look like some fine young cannibal cuisine but it’s far better than that.

My reaction hovers somewhere between “interesting” and “ew.”

Be interested! It’s not about cooking people, it’s about…a tense, exciting thriller.

Well worth seeing. I went with a dubious level of expectation and found it enthralling.

Hmmmm…..that’s two rec’s…

Trust us. Give it a go.

Check please! I don’t want to miss this one.

Is the correct answer. Big star performances, surprising femme fatales, shocking moments, high tension; this is what we want!

I think I’m going to go with the “I’m squeamish so I’m going to pass” option today, waiter. I’d like it very well done and I’ll have brown rice as my side and a diet cola.

Actually, I think this meal is suitable for Bookstooges, but we do have a children’s menu; The Rescuers Down Under or Care Bears in Wonderland?

Can I get a Care Bears Down Under, with extra pickles?

No, we don’t have pickles, gravel glued to a plate is all we have. Do you want it or not?

Do I get free ketchup packets with it?

No, we don’t do ketchup.

What about the blood of my enemies? And does it come in a to-go container?

I’ll have it in your usual juice box. And a post-it sticker to remind you that we’re all thinking of our brave boy.

Don’t know about the movie, but this review is a gastronomic delight, a puffy pastry of tasty goodness, a critical confection that’s more than just a palate cleanser for the main course, which is I’m sure is a low-carb, high-protein entree worth savouring at the megaplex buffet!

It’s a good film, Bunty, and I’m trying to promise a big tasty meal without giving away all the secrets.

Even you might enjoy this! Get on the phone to the library!

I will! Does it come with a collectible toy like a happy meal?

Yes, you can collect scale models of the WordPress 4, collect them all and get a free play set complete with bins for each character!

Every meal a happy meal at this resturant…

I’m there! Though I suppose I’m going to have to buy a lot of happy meals to get all four action figures.

You will, but it’ll be worth it. The Dix figure has a plague doctor cloak, the Bookstooge figure comes with his own yoga mat, Fraggle has a working camera, and….what does the Alex Good figurine have?

A tiger with glowing eyes.

Oh, that sounds good.

https://hdqwalls.com/tiger-glowing-eyes-wallpaper

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